Electrical means for operating clock-pendulums.



J. F. HOLMES. ELECTRICAL MEANS FOR OPERATING CLOCK PBNDULUMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY27, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

wit/memes JOHN F. HOLMES, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL MEANS FOR OPERATING CLOCK-PENDULUMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Serial No. 509,780.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Means for Operating Clock-Pendulums, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical means for operating clock pendulums, which in turn may be connected to drive a movement bearing the usual hour and minute hands.

It is the object of the invention to produce a novel and efficient form of device for swinging a pendulum to and fro, by means of a suitable magnet and batteries having proper connections with other intermediate mechanism whereby the electrical energy is utilized at a proper instant to exert a force against the pendulum rod and throw the same to one side.

The mechanism is such as to be readily contained within a clock case, thereby concealing it from view, making the device particularly desirable for many styles of clocks.

For the purpose of clearness of illustration I have omitted illustrating a form of clock movement to be operated by the pendulum, since the same would form no part of my invention and could be of any preferred design.

Upon the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification similar characters of reference will be found to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and of which,

Figure 1, shows a side elevation of a pendulum suitably hung to swing back and forth and connected to be operated by my improved electrical appliance, and Fig. 2, shows a sectional plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings 5 represents a stud to which the pendulum rod 6 is hung and from which it is adapted to swing to and fro in the usual manner. 7 represents a ball upon the pendulum which likewise may be of any usual or preferred construction. To the side of this pendulum, or that of any other to which it might be desired to apply my device, I attach in any suitable manner an L shaped bracket 8 and to this bracket I connect a yieldable arm 9 by means of a pivotal stud 10 which passes down through the said arm and bracket in a way to connect and carry the arm backward and forward with each return throw of the pendulum. This arm is also designed to oscillate slightly upon its pivot 10 thereby permitting its outer free end to not only travel backward and forward but sidewise for the purpose of following an elliptical groove 11 cut in an insulating block 12 which would be secured to the inside of the back part of the clock case (not shown) through the medium of a bracket 13. The free end of the said arm is provided with a small platinum pin 1 1 that projects down below the underside of the arm and engages the groove 11 before mentioned. The portions 15 of this groove are slightly deeper than the portions 16, for the purpose of insuring the pin of the arm traveling in an elliptical path as represented by the said groove, as for instance, with the forward travel of the arm as indicated by arrow in Fig. 2, the pin will be shoved along the groove 11 until it nears the end 16 whereupon it drops into the deeper portion 15 thereby guiding the pin in its return movement through the opposite side of the groove until the opposite end is reached, whereupon the pin again drops off from the higher groove 16 into the deeper channel 15 preparatory to the return movement around the opposite side. This form of operation obviously repeats itself with each forward and backward throw of the pendulum causing the said platinum pin with each of said movements to travel over the surface of the metal plate 17, set in the block 12, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. This metal plate is connected by means of a wire 18 with batteries 19 that in turn are again connected with the magnet 20 by a wire 21. The other wire 22 for the said magnet is connected with the pin 14 carried by the arm 9 which serves to complete a circuit through the bat-teries and magnet with every forward and backward throw of the pendulum and at an instant when said pin is drawing across the metallic plate. It will also be noticed that this plate is so located as to complete the circuit at a time when the pendulum is starting on its return swing.

The magnet 20 is of an ordinary design comprising the usual core, windings, etc., and would be secured to the clock case in any suitable manner as for instance by means of a bracket 23. An arm 24 extends charged at each moment that the pin comes in contact with the plate 17 which obviously occurs when the pendulum rod is in engagement with the spring, therefore the elec trical influence of the magnet serves to drive the armature against the magnet causing the spring to exert a force against the pendulum rod and throw it over to the opposite side. The rod obviously draws with it the arm 9 which when free of the plate 17 breaks the circuit allowing the armature to drop back against its shoulder, and free to be again engaged by the pendulum rod 011 its return swing.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for operating clock mechanism the combination with a pendulum of an arm connected to and carried thereby bearing a contact pin, a block of insulating material having an elliptical groove to guide the pin of the arm, a metallic plate set in the groove to contact with the said pin, a magnet having an arm bearing an armature with attached means for engaging and throwing the pendulum rod with each complete forward and backward swing thereof, and batteries having connections with the magnet to operate the latter.

2. In a device for operating clock mechanism the combination with a pendulum, of an arm pivotally connected to the pendulum rod and bearing a contact pin, a block of insulating material having an elliptical groove therein to guide the pin of the arm, a metallic plate set in the said groove for the engagement of the pin with each complete forward and backward movement thereof, a battery connected with the block, a magnet connected with the battery and pin of the arm and having an armature with means for engaging and throwing the pendulum rod at each instant the pin of the arm engages the metallic plate of the block.

Signed at lVaterbury in the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut this 21th day of July, A. D., 1909.

JOHN F. HOLMES.

it-messes C. M. NEWMAN, RUTH RAYMOND. 

